


Re-Align

by bonjourmarlene



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Youtube RPF
Genre: Ilvermorny, i made them live in the same state although i know they are not from the same state
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 13:19:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7362931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonjourmarlene/pseuds/bonjourmarlene
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tessa and Anna have always done everything together, except when Tessa gets her Ilvermorny letter and can't tell her best friend where she's going.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Re-Align

**Author's Note:**

> Brizzy & Tessa asked for an Ilvermorny fanfiction so here we go - it's not very long and I have actually never written a fanfiction without a romantic intention so this is something new (but fun) to me. Also please don't expect writing á la J.K. Rowling since English isn't even my first language. Enjoy reading!

Even though there was a great big ocean separating the British magical community from the North American one, word of the darkest wizard of all time had reached them on the western continent. People lived in fear that, once he had taken over his home country, Lord Voldemort would seek global dominance and cross the ocean in order to take over their beloved home as well.

To their relief something – or rather someone – had stopped him, and as incredible as it sounded, it was a little boy; only one year of age. He had never held a wand, never even attended any sort of school yet somehow he had defeated the wizard they all had feared.

For some years the American community thought maybe they had exaggerated. Maybe they had sent fearsome messages to American friends and family because they wanted to say, “Look, we have the most powerful wizard in our country.”

Everyone continued on with their lives, unbothered by what had happened far away from home. Couples got married, they had children, people travelled, watched their children leave on a train to school.

It was a few years later when they found out that the little boy that had supposedly saved an entire nation told everyone that the Dark Wizard was back and he was planning to go back to where he had left off and continue on with his plans.

There were many doubts of course, with people receiving tired owls that had flown across the ocean to deliver their letters that stated that He Who Must Not Be Named was back while others showed them the British newspapers that claimed the boy had gone insane; of course, he had been famous since he could talk, both parents dead, No-Majs for a family (or Muggles, as they called them in Great Britain). Anyone could go mad under those circumstances.

But then it had turned out to be true and although it all seemed so far away from them, there was fear and anxiety crippling under everyone’s skin. What if he really did return? Which wizard was powerful enough to die and be resurrected thirteen years later? Could he really gain worldwide dominance?

The frequency of receiving owls from friends and family overseas dropped over the years as You Know Who rose in power. The Americans could feel it happening even though it never happened in front of their eyes. People watched as their neighbors mourned over British family members they had lost and stopped sending owls back.

When the news reached them that Lord Voldemort had been defeated, by the same boy who had managed to defeat him once already seventeen years prior, it seemed as if it was one gigantic party. The Statue of Secrecy had never been violated as much as it had that day and even though there was many No-Majs that had to be obliviated nobody seemed to care.

And so, when the new students for Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry , they were all taught about the Second Wizarding War that had happened so far away but hit so close to home.

***

It was the early 2000s when a young girl named Tessa sat at the table, eating breakfast with her family as an owl fluttered through the opened window as they had anticipated for weeks now. Since her birthday was on the first of September they had hoped that the letter would have come last year but apparently whoever was in charge of sending out the owls at Ilvermorny was stricter than necessary and had made the poor girl wait another whole year for her acceptance letter.

“Open it, open it!” Tessa’s mother told her excitedly with her hands clasped together as she watched the eleven year old girl tear it open.

She took out the pieces of parchment and first gazed at the crest, the school’s symbol, which covered the top. “Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” was written in blue letters on top of gold ribbons, all overlaying a red background. The four houses were represented in gold as well, with the Thunderbird on top, the Pukwudgie to the right, the Wampus at the bottom and the Horned Serpent to the left. The houses, all named after and represented by four magical creatures, were drawn onto a blue shamrock-shape to round the whole image up.

“ _Headmaster: Adalbert Loxias._

_Dear Miss Netting,_

_Congratulations! On behalf of the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am very pleased to send you this owl with the confirmation that you have been accepted into our school._

_If you choose to accept us as well we await an owl with a reply by the end of July (July, 31st), entailing your confirmation._

_We are already looking forward to meeting you!_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Kevin Broadmoor, Secretary_ ”

The owl that had delivered the letter hooted now, stretching out its leg to signalize it was supposed to carry back either a confirmation or negation. Tessa’s mother grinned before she hugged her daughter tightly, congratulating her on entering.

As she wrote the reply letter for the owl, Tessa read the letter again, a sigh of relief falling from her lips. It wasn’t like she wasn’t expecting it because she was. Her mother was a witch and so was her father but still, there was some doubt that there wasn’t a letter on its way. They had believed it would come last year but as it didn’t, she began to question the magic that she had created.

Had she only imagined it? Had someone else performed magic and she had incidentally been standing there, thinking it was her own doing? Her aunt (who wasn’t really her aunt yet because her uncle and her weren’t married) had even quietly asked at a family dinner once, “Is your daughter a squib?” after they heard that Tessa did, in fact, not receive a letter from Ilvermorny last summer.

Her mother had denied it, of course, blaming it on her birthday but there had been murmurs that she was not a witch and would have to start living like a No-Maj sooner or later.

“We should buy your things right away,” her mother told her excitedly, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Get you ready for September.”

That night Tessa put on her blue and cranberry colored robes, tying a gold Gordian Knot to fasten it, and crept under the blankets, where she put on a small flash light to look through her new school books.

***

“I need to tell you something,” Tessa told her friend Brizzy the next morning as Brizzy put on her shoes so they could go outside together. Of course Brizzy wasn’t the name her parents had given her but the girl had insisted on being called Brizzy as her real name, Anna Brisbin, wasn’t cool enough and quite simple. They had been friends as long as they could remember, going to the same kindergarten and primary school. They weren’t exactly neighbors but they lived close by so even in the holidays they would go out together.

Tessa was a year older than Brizzy though so she had always been a grade above her; she had often helped her with her homework and in return Brizzy had baked cakes and biscuits with her mom for Tessa.

“What is it?” The red haired girl asked curiously and got up, her shoelaces now tied. “See you later, mom!” She shouted into the house and they both walked outside, relishing in the warm July sun.

Biting her lip the older girl wondered how she could best start this topic. She had been thinking about it all day but now every scenario she had come up with was gone from her mind. The problem was Brizzy was a No-Maj. Tessa’s parents had noticed early on that Brizzy’s parents were definitely no wizard or witch and told their daughter even when she was little to never show magic in front of her friend because it wasn’t allowed and so Tessa had never told her about her hidden abilities. “I’m going to a boarding school in September.”

The younger girl stopped dead in her tracks and watched her friend with an opened mouth, deeply in shock. “Wait, are you serious? Why?”

“It’s a really good school,” the blonde muttered nervously and looked at the ground, fidgeting with her fingers. She had been excited to go to Ilvermorny, yes, but she had known saying goodbye to her oldest and best friend would be hard and painful. “My mum and dad went there too, when they were my age so we’d been hoping for a letter last year already but it only came now. It’s in Massachusetts so I’ll only be here during the holidays. Kelsey is there as well.” She knew it wasn’t fair to mention her older sister because Brizzy was aware that she missed her a lot since she had gone to a boarding school.

Brizzy frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. What hadn’t crossed her mind yet was that Tessa would leave to go to the same boarding school someday. It just seemed illogical to her that the blonde would give up the life she had only because of a school. “I don’t get it – why can’t you just stay here? Your parents aren’t from Massachusetts, you told me they were both born here! So why do they go to a school so far away and why do you, too? There are good schools here.”

“I know, I know,” Tessa muttered. “It’s not easy to explain. I’m sorry, I really am, but I already said I would go and I’m signed up for the school already so there’s no turning back.”

Brizzy looked at the ground, trying not to show how upset she was but then she just sighed and nodded her head. “Yeah, okay. Let’s just… do something else.”

***

Brizzy stood in Tessa’s front yard and waved goodbye as she sat in the car with her mom, dad and her older sister Kelsey, on the way to the train station. It would be a long journey – they had to get to Harrisburg first and then from there take the train to a small city in Massachusetts called Adams, from which where the students would be picked up by someone from school and escorted to the top of Mount Greylock in some magical carriages.

“I’m gonna miss you and I’ll send you lots of letters!” Tessa shouted her promise before her dad drove off the driveway. The two girls waved at each other with a heavy feeling in their stomachs.

***

“You sure you got everything, every book, your robes?” Her mother asked her anxiously as Tessa was about to board the train that would take her away from Pennsylvania, her home state. She had never left it before so she was just as nervous as her mother about going but she knew this was something she had to do and if something went wrong her sister wouldn’t be far.

“I do, mom,” she told her and somehow managed to sound a lot more relaxed than she really was. She felt like she should pretend she wasn’t nervous about all of this, probably because she was scared her mom would second guess it and they’d go back to the car and drive all the way home again.

“Remember we love you and we’re proud of you; both of you. Send us a letter as soon as you can! Tessa, I’m already so excited to find out what house you’re in – you know, me and your mom were Thunderbirds but your sister here, she managed to become a Pukwudgie.”

“Dad, you’re rambling,” Kelsey told him with a laugh. “I’m going to go find my friends now. She pointed towards the south end of the train, “That’s where the first years usually gather. You should drop Tessa with them. See you.” She allowed her mother to kiss her on the cheek before she hugged both her parents and then jumped onto the train, already trying to get past everyone with a big suitcase trailing behind her.

Bravely, the blonde walked up to a bunch of other girls and boys her age, noticing nervous parents surrounding them all and felt a little lighter at that view. She wasn’t the only one whose parents were anxious about leaving her and by looking at the faces of the other eleven year old’s she guessed they were just as scared about this whole adventure as she was.

“Everybody get on the train now!” A loud voice shouted and quick glances, rushed hugs and soft cheek kisses were exchanged between students and their parents before they all stepped onto the train, waving at their parents as the train slowly starting rolling away after the doors had closed.

Tessa sat down in a compartment of the train where two girls were sitting, quietly and apparently too shy to talk to each other. “Hi, I’m Tessa,” she introduced herself. “Who are you?”

“Melanie.”

“Kimberley,” the two girls said and half an hour later the silence had died and laughter filled the room.

***

The blonde eleven year old watched as one by one, girls and boys here were called forward to stand on a stone tile, the picture of a knot engraved on the top. The boy, who was now standing on the tile, looked up at the four carvings of the magical creatures that represented the houses, waiting for one of them to react.

Nervousness rose within her with every name that was called, drawing closer to the N surnames. She watched as her train companion Melanie was called up and sorted into the Horned Serpent house.

Sometimes she looked up at the older students that were watching the Sorting Ceremony overhead, standing on a circular balcony and watching over the entire scene with eager faces. They were all curious to see who would join their house and more often than not Tessa could see her sister’s eyes on her, wondering where Tessa would end up.

“Netting, Tessa,” her name was called and she snapped out of her thoughts, almost stumbling as she made her way to the engraved tile on the floor. Taking a deep breath first, she placed one foot after the other on it and then closed her eyes for a moment before looking up at the magical creatures. At first nothing happened as the four decided where she would go, like they had done with other pupils before a bright light suddenly emitted from the Horned Serpent’s crystal, which was set into its head, and with a sigh of relief Tessa got off and joined the other first years that had been sorted into the Horned Serpent’s house.

Some of the people from upstairs cheered on her and she looked up with a huge grin to see her new house mate’s faces. Although she was not a Pukwudgie now like Kelsey had secretly hoped, she was clapping for her sister with a proud smile.

***

Brizzy was lonely without her friend. Tessa hadn’t been her only friend, no, but she was the one she had loved the most and she was the one she now missed the most. She wondered why on earth her friend would choose to go to a boarding school so far away from her when they had planned to go to every school together, always, and Brizzy would watch Tessa graduate and then the next year Tessa would come and watch her graduate.

But now, it seemed, her friend had thrown it all away for some school in Massachusetts for a reason Brizzy couldn’t fathom. Why would she leave everything behind just because of _one_ school? What could they do teach her in another state that she couldn’t learn here?

She received a letter from Tessa on her birthday, not quite two weeks after she had left for her new school. There was a present in it as well, some jelly beans the older girl had described as a funny game where there were some with disgusting flavor so maybe she should save a few and not eat them too enthusiastically.

***

Tessa came home for Christmas, as she had mentioned in a letter she had sent Brizzy. For some strange reason she never sent the letter to her house though; always to her own parents who would then bring the letter to Brizzy’s house.

She wondered why it was like that and why Tessa’s parents wouldn’t tell her the address of Tessa’s boarding school so she could send her friend a letter herself. She had only asked once, not wanting to be rude and intrusive but when they had told her it wasn’t possible due to the school’s exclusiveness and secrecy, she had felt a little bit… rejected.

Sometimes she asked herself if Tessa _actually_ received her letters or if her parents were just reading them and writing a reply on their own that they would give her back.

But Tessa did really come home towards the twentieth of December and knocked on her friend’s door with a huge grin on her face. “I’m back!”

The red haired girl wrapped her arms around the older girl, embracing her tightly. “You should have told me you were coming today! I was expecting a letter or something!”

“I wanted to surprise you,” the blonde giggled and fixed the hat on her head to keep her hair from falling into her face. “Any plans for today?”

“Not anymore!” Brizzy laughed and the two young girls headed outside. “How is Massachusetts?”

“Good, good,” Tessa told her with a smile. “I wish you were there with me though, it would be so much more fun. But it’s really amazing – I wish I could tell you all about it! It’s – it’s… it’s honestly magical, Briz.”

The red haired girl frowned. She knew she was supposed to be happy for her friend, that she felt comfortable in the new environment she had to live in now but… if she was being honest with herself she had hoped for her to tell her she wanted to come back and they could have gone to Tessa’s parents together and beg them to let Tessa move back to Pennsylvania so she could finish her education here, together with Brizzy.

“That’s good,” she managed to say eventually and it sounded a lot lighter than she actually felt. “I’m glad you’re still writing to me.”

“Of course!” The blonde replied shocked. “I think about you loads and I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.”

“Come on,” Tessa told her with a smile. “Let’s do something fun together while we can, yeah?”

***

The two families spent Christmas Eve and Christmas together, exchanging presents with each other. The three girls, including Kelsey, were opening presents on the 25th and when Brizzy left to go to bed after dinner that day, Kelsey and Tessa’s parents brought out the magical presents that their No-Maj friends weren’t supposed to see (it was a set of Gobstones for Kelsey who had joined the Gobstone club at Ilvermorny the previous year and a box of Snitch Snatcher, a Quidditch board game, for Tessa).

Tessa was dying to tell her friends about all the things she had learnt since she left Pennsylvania in September; how she had flown a broom stick for the first time and how she had finally received her own wand after the Sorting Ceremony (but unfortunately it was a rule to leave wands at school until you graduated so she hadn’t been able to take it with her), how she was surprisingly good at Potions class and the three girls she shared a dorm room with – one had even come all the way from Hawaii!

It got harder and harder for her to find a topic to talk about so on New Years’ Eve they just lay in the snow together after making their snow angels and looking up at the cloud covered sky. It was relaxing to be back home and although Tessa loved going to Ilvermorny she somehow wished she could stay here for just a little bit longer.

“When are you going back?” Brizzy asked after a few minutes of silence and they finally looked at each other again, the reality of Tessa’s going back to Massachusetts hitting them both suddenly.

“On the fourth.”

The red haired girl nodded but then sat up with a smile. “Do you wanna build a snowman?”

The two families counted down the seconds until the clock hit midnight and the year turned from 2001 to 2002. They all hugged each other and danced to music from the radio, the four adults sipping on their champagne while the three girls had fizzy drinks without alcohol but it felt as if they were drunk on happiness either way.

“Happy New Year!” Tessa shouted over the sounds of fireworks they could see in the sky. “Did you make a wish?”

Brizzy nodded her head with a smile. “But if I tell you it won’t come true!” She really just wanted her best friend back and she wasn’t going to risk it.

When Tessa left Pennsylvania, once again on train, four days later, Brizzy was standing on her front yard once more as the car drove off and they waved at each other, knowing that the months until Easter break were not gonna be much better than the ones from September to December.

***

They got used to it over the next weeks. Brizzy and Tessa kept sending each other messages as frequently as possible, meaning that Brizzy saw Tessa’s parents probably more often than she had ever seen them before even though she had met with her blonde friend almost daily, and Tessa got an owl every morning as she sat with her friends for breakfast. They had noted how difficult it must be to have a No-Maj for a best friend, not being able to tell them about anything but truth was, Tessa told Brizzy about everything that was going on in her life – except that she left out the little bits of pieces that included magic.

She told her about her teachers that scolded her if she forgot to write some essays. She told her about they made them watch the stars once a week and draw the constellations. She told her about how weird it was to have breakfast together with all the other students that came from all over the states and teachers watching over them like they were shepherds and the students were little, helpless sheep. She told her about the four houses that parted the school, a system that her new school had taken over from England and how competitive it was between the houses. She told her about the one time she lost points for her house because she had talked back at a teacher and how she had gotten dirty looks for a few days until she gave an unexpected class in History (of Magic, she left out) and gained them the lost points back.

In return, Brizzy kept her up-to-date with everything that was going on back home. About the girls and boys from their old classes that now started dating, about how the snow had melted already, about how their English teacher – well, only Brizzy’s now – had fallen down the stairs and broken her hip bone so now they had a super lame substitute where they didn’t learn anything at all anymore (but it was great to have a class per day where you could just relax for a while).

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry, there is more to come! If you liked this, please leave some kudos or a comment ~


End file.
